COLLEGE BASEBALL

VALPARAISO | For everything that Elliott Gibbs has been through in his six years at Valparaiso, he has never quite had an outing like he put together on Saturday afternoon.

Playing at home for the first time all season, Gibbs pitched a shutout for the first time as the Crusaders blanked Cleveland State 7-0 in the Horizon League home opener. Gibbs finished with nine strikeouts and needed just 118 pitches to finish off the Vikings as the Munster grad picked up his first victory of the season.

"It's great to get a win the first time that we're here all year," Gibbs said. "The defense made a lot of big plays and they are a big part of this too."

Gibbs, who has missed 2 1/2 years due to Tommy John surgery, came into the season as a candidate for the closer's role, but he has continually impressed throughout the season and showed the ability to go nine innings on Saturday.

"Just phenomenal," Crusader outfielder Zach Rodeghero said in reaction to Gibbs' performance. "I said when they wanted to make him the closer, that we needed him to be a starter for us. He's a great pitcher and he got the job done today."

Rodeghero led a 13-hit, seven-run offensive attack for the Crusaders (6-17, 2-2 Horizon League), who were coming off a 15-0 shutout loss to Purdue earlier in the week. The fifth-year senior was 4-for-5 with three RBIs and a leadoff home run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Vikings (6-9, 1-1) answered in the second game of the doubleheader, getting to starter Bryce Shafer early and holding on for a 4-2 victory.

The Crusaders were able to muster up just four hits in the nightcap.

"It's amazing to me how many times you split doubleheaders," Crusader coach Tracy Woodson said. "I love getting the first one because then the second one is a freebie. We tell our guys that we just do no worse than split and take two of three at home."